


Dear Heart (Remastered)

by penguinated



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinated/pseuds/penguinated
Summary: Dear Heart was originally meant to be about an OC, but I changed it to Reader Insert for tumblr. Well, I decided to reclaim it for my OC, Melanie Davis, and flesh out her story a bit more. I'm leaving the original fic up for those that enjoyed it as a reader insert, but here's how I intended it.Melanie Davis is a nurse from North Carolina who has lived a sheltered life since her father died. Her father's best friend, Colonel Sink, invites her to experience more as a regimental nurse for the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne. She embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, and finds love as well.
Relationships: Richard Winters/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	Dear Heart (Remastered)

“Colonel Sink, you can’t be serious!”

She gaped at him, her tea steaming in its cup, neglected with the shock of what he’d asked. Even the crosses hanging on the wall seemed to gawk. 

They sat in her mother’s sitting room. All floral furniture and pink wallpaper that her father would not have enjoyed, but her mother adored. Wall to wall were crosses - some of which had a Christ figure protruding and some of which were plain. Others had Bible verses and other words of wisdom for well-mannered women. The only trace of her father now was the grandfather clock that stood in the corner, an heirloom from his family. 

“I’m quite serious,” Sink replied. “Melanie, you’re the best nurse I know, and you’ve trained at one of the finest hospitals in North Carolina. I can’t think of anyone better to train our medics and serve as a regimental nurse.”

She stared at her father’s best friend, mouth still hanging open. Serve in the Army? It felt incredulous, and yet she was flattered. She considered herself a fairly qualified nurse, but to hear him talk, one might think she was the best in the nation. 

She shook her head to collect herself. 

“I do believe you’re biased, Colonel,” she said. “Given our personal relationship.”

Colonel Sink had watched her grow up, and he was always like a second father to her. And when her father passed, Sink really stepped into that role. He even paid for her to go to nursing school. 

“Melanie, have you ever known me to let feelings cloud my judgement?” he challenged. “If I say you’re qualified then dammit I mean it - excuse the language.”

She nodded in acknowledgement before finally picking up her tea and sipping it. She set it back down on the kitchen table and looked him in the eye. 

“Let’s say I do agree,” she said. “Why would soldiers listen to a woman?”

“Because I tell them to,” he replied. “And as I’ve already said, you’re qualified to teach. I think they’ll give you the respect you deserve.” 

She took this in. A part of her was eager to agree. She wanted to do her part in the war effort, and this was the most direct action. On the other hand, it was intimidating. To teach other nurses - who were all women - was one thing. She was on the same level with them. But teaching men was different. And yet, his words were reassuring. 

“How would it work?” she wondered. “Am I being drafted? Will I be paid?”

“You’d technically be in the Army Nurse Corps,” he explained. “With rank and pay according to your experience. But I’ve arranged for you to be assigned to my regiment instead of a specific hospital. And of course, you’ll be training my medics.”

It didn’t seem very ladylike. She could already hear her mother’s disapproval. But that part of her which yearned for adventure and longed to participate in history was growing. 

“Mother wouldn’t allow it,” she said. “She’d never think it was proper.”

“I’ll speak to Lilian,” he assured her. “Times are changing, and you’re a grown woman free to live her own life.”

She held back a snort.

“Remember how hard it was to convince her to let me go to school and get a job?” she pointed out. “If you tell her I’m joining the Army, she’ll be floppin’ all over the floor.”

He laughed at that. He knew Lilian a long time, and was fully aware of her views on what was appropriate for a young woman. But Melanie said “if you tell her I’m joining” so he had to clarify.

“Does that mean you’ll do it?” he asked.

She sighed. “I suppose...it does.”

“Atta girl!”

His grin was infectious, and before she knew it she was joining him. He’d brought the papers and she signed them. He was right, after all. This was her life, and she knew she would regret it forever if she didn’t take this chance. 

*******

After attending basic training, she was on a train bound for Toccoa, Georgia, a tiny town in the foothills of the Appalachians. It was quaint and quiet, but the scenery was beautiful, all lush and green from the Southern summer heat. Colonel Sink picked her up from the station and took her into the camp in his jeep. 

“First, you’ll meet some of the officers,” he explained. “All good men. Your first lesson with the medics is tomorrow morning at 0800 hours.” 

She nodded. “Yes, sir.” 

The jeep rumbled to a stop in front of a building that frankly looked just like all the rest. It was a sea of wood and mud. And men. There were men everywhere. Colonel Sink helped her down, and she immediately regretted wearing heels when they sank into the earth. He helped her inside. There, she was met with more men. At this point, she was certain she was the only skirt in Camp Toccoa. 

“Lieutenant Davis, these are a few of my officers,” Sink began. 

She met Major Strayer and a few other battalion folks, but then she got down to the company commanders. Not every company had a representative, and some of the officers were leaving as she arrived. There were reports to hand in evidently. 

She made it to Easy Company, and caught the eye of a red-headed lieutenant. Something like recognition passed between them, though she was certain she had never met him before. 

“And this is Easy Company’s CO, Lieutenant Herbert Sobel,” the colonel continued. 

She forced herself to focus as she shook Sobel’s hand. She couldn’t help but notice his lack of enthusiasm. He shook her hand quickly, and released it as soon as he could. He barely even managed a curt greeting. She brushed it off. This was a reaction she figured she’d have to get used to. 

“This is Lieutenant Lewis Nixon,” Sink went on. 

She shook hands with a friendlier, dark haired gentleman with an easy smile. Then finally she reached the redhead. 

“And this is Lieutenant Dick Winters,” Sink finished. 

Winters extended his hand. Time seemed frozen around her as she reached out to take it, and when they touched, she felt a warmth she had never felt before. That sense of familiarity washed over her again. She met his gaze. 

“Hello,” she said timidly. 

“Nice to meet you,” he replied kindly. 

“Dick, I’m gonna ask you to show her around if you don’t mind,” Sink said. “I’ve got papers to look over or I’d do it myself. I hope that won’t bother you too much, Herbert.”

Sobel’s expression of glee was fleeting, so Sink didn’t catch it. 

“Not at all, sir, Easy can manage,” the former said. 

She noticed Nixon bite his lip to hold back a laugh. 

Sobel departed with Nixon and then Sink dismissed Melanie and Winters. As they stepped out into the Georgia sun, they put on their covers and headed further into the camp. 

“Why don’t we start with the mess hall, Lieutenant Davis?” he suggested. 

“Oh, I do wish you’d call me Melanie,” she insisted. “Hearing me called by rank and surname makes me feel like a man.”

She saw the faintest hint of a smile cross his face. 

“Alright,” he agreed. “Melanie it is. In the spirit of fairness, you may call me Dick.”

“I suppose we are equals,” she said. “Very well. Show me around, Dick.”

He smiled for real now and then began the tour. 

The camp wasn’t massive, but she knew it would still take her a little while to know her way around, especially since most of the buildings looked the same. But she wouldn’t complain - not when the colonel had pulled so many strings to get her there. And - even more difficult - had broken the news to her mother. 

Dick was a very good tour guide, and appeared to be a well-liked man among the regiment. He was knowledgeable and kind, leaving ample opportunity for her to ask questions. She had few, so after about an hour, they took a break.

“So, what made you want to join the Army?” he asked. 

“I didn’t really want to,” she explained. “But Colonel Sink is an old friend and wanted so badly for me to come along, I...well, I didn’t feel like I could say no.”

“That’s a big commitment for the sake of an old friend,” he said. “Especially if it’s not something you really want.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she said. “I am glad to be here, but I never thought a girl like me would really suit this environment. I’m still not sure I do.”

“What do you mean?” he wondered. 

She took a deep breath. “This may be too personal, but I was raised by a strict mother. She had certain, very traditional views of what daughters should do, and joining the Army is the furthest I’ve ever strayed from that idea.” 

“I see,” he said. “She expected you to be a wife and mother.”

She nodded, appreciative of his quick understanding. “Yes. When I first told her I wanted to be a nurse and make my own money, she didn’t speak to me for a week.”

“How’s it been since you left for training?” he asked. 

“She hasn’t even written to me once,” she told him. “It’s been months, and still nothing.”

He looked at the ground. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

She gazed around the camp. The men were milling about in their uniforms and talking and laughing and she felt content. 

“It’s funny, I’ve been afraid that I should have listened to her,” she said. “But now that I’m here...it feels right.”

They locked eyes as Dick looked up.

“We’re glad you’re here,” he said. 

Heat rushed to her cheeks. 

“Thank you,” she replied. 

The rest of the day went smoothly, and she felt she already had a friend in Dick. To her surprise, most of the men seemed to have no problem with her presence. And if they did, they didn’t show it. She wasn’t sure if that was her rank or that word had already spread about her closeness to Sink. Either way, it was a relief. 

Dick returned to Easy Company for their afternoon run up Currahee, and she went to get settled in her room. Sink had arranged for a private room at regiment headquarters for her. She had her own bathroom with a shower and a regular, barracks style bed. She was happy with both. 

She found herself already missing her new friend. Dick was such an easy person to be around. He had a calming, safe presence. Even in a few short hours of knowing him, she liked him a great deal.

When it was time for dinner, Melanie went to the mess hall. She grabbed a tray and received her food and when she turned to face all the tables, she struggled with where to point her feet. She still didn’t know anyone, and had no idea how to make friends with these men. She scanned the room, hoping for a friendly indication from anyone. Unfortunately, they were all caught up in their own conversations and no one noticed her. 

Then, someone appeared at her side. She looked up and saw that it was Dick. 

“Sit with us,” he said. “Over here.”

She couldn’t help but beam at him. 

“Of course. Thank you.”

She followed him to the table where a few other officers sat. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

*******

She’d never been more wrong. Her first class was a disaster. A few men tried to pay attention, but it was no use with the distractions from the ones who disapproved of her. They interrupted her, made crude comments, and whispered what she was certain were filthy jokes to one another during her instruction. Their laughter was loud and disruptive and threw her off enough to where she ended the class early. 

As they all filed out of the room, she got a few sympathetic glances, but nothing else. When the room was clear, she shut the door, sank into the chair behind the desk, and let out a sob. She kept it quiet, since she didn’t want to give them any more reasons to mock her, but she couldn’t hold back the tears. This all suddenly felt like a terrible idea. The desire to give up and go home was overwhelming. 

“Melanie?” came a voice from the door. 

She straightened up and hastily wiped her face. She turned and saw the figure in the doorway was Dick. 

“Oh,” she choked out. “Hello.”

He stepped into the room. 

“I was dropping by to see how your first day went,” he said. “By the looks of things, I’m guessing not well.”

“Oh, Dick, it was horrible,” she confessed. 

She explained everything. Their behavior and every way she’d tried to combat it to no avail. He listened patiently. Then he let out a thoughtful hum.

“You’ve got to relate to them somehow,” he said. 

“Relate to them?” she sniffled. “How can I do that? There’s so little we have in common…”

“Well, you’re all human,” he suggested. 

She scoffed. “A rather broad sense of commonality, I’d say. Germans are human too.”

“True,” he chuckled softly. “Well, you’re all Americans.”

“We might need to narrow it down even further,” she said through a half-hearted chuckle. 

“Put it to them this way,” he said. “You all want the same thing. To save as many lives as you can. Remind them that you’re not there to give orders or emasculate them. You’re a teacher, that’s all.”

“That might work,” she said thoughtfully. “Although, I could just explain this all to Colonel Sink and forget about it.”

“Colonel Sink won’t let you give up that easy,” he returned. “And if you report the men, they’ll behave, but you won’t have their respect.”

“That’s honest,” she said.

“I’ll always be honest with you,” he replied. “Go with relating to them. It’ll take some time, but eventually, they’ll come around. And in the meantime, just hang tough.”

She nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Can’t ask for more than that,” he said, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I have faith in you, Melanie.”

His faith was inexplicably encouraging. She believed him, which made her faith in herself grow. 

“Thank you,” she said. “Really.” 

The next day, she decided to take his advice. She even adjusted her demeanor to display confidence, but nothing overbearing. 

“Good morning,” she said brightly. 

She got a few murmurs in response, but nothing more. She took a deep breath, and remembered what Dick told her. 

“Listen, guys,” she began. “I want to start today by letting you know that...I was brought here as a teacher. All I have is knowledge. Knowledge that can help you in the war. We all have the same goal there, don’t we? I just want to equip you with all the information I have to make your efforts successful. I’m not here to tell you how to fight the war. I’m not here to boss you around. I’m not here to -”

“Bust our balls,” interrupted one of the worst culprits of the previous day, Private Holmes. 

She met his gaze, and it was different. He was actually listening to her now. 

“Yes,” she said. 

He smiled. Not in the mocking way he did the day before. There was a playfulness there, but this time, there was an invitation to take part in the joke. 

“Say it,” he pressed. 

She blinked. “Wh - in those exact words?”

“Yep.”

“Private, I am still a lady, and -”

The whole room erupted into lighthearted encouragement from them. She couldn’t believe it. In just her simple admission, she had changed their minds about her. And now they wanted her to get on their level. She laughed in spite of herself. 

“Oh, alright, alright!” she cried, holding up a hand to shush them. Then she muttered, “I’m not here to bust your balls.”

Holmes cupped his ear and leaned over the desk he sat behind. “Sorry, Lieutenant, didn’t quite catch that.”

Her face was beet red at that point. 

“I’m not here to bust your balls!” 

They all howled with laughter and then - unbelievably - applauded her. Her whole body felt hot with embarrassment. She’d never talked like that in her life. But it got her what she wanted. The shame ebbed away into a different feeling. She was pleased with herself. She also decided that Dick was the best person to go to for advice. 

*******

The coming weeks in Toccoa went fairly smoothly after that. There were still men who didn’t approve of her being there, but they couldn’t argue with Sink, so she remained. They were easy to ignore. 

She spent any and all free time with Dick. He had much less of it than she did, but she was pleased any time he sought her out. With Easy’s weekend passes so often revoked, she was able to spend many a Saturday afternoon with him, going for long walks around the camp. If it was raining, they sat on a porch together. Either way, they talked and got to know each other. 

He told her about growing up in rural Pennsylvania. In exchange, she shared her life in the suburbs of the growing city of Charlotte. Their upbringings were similar in that they were rooted in faith and family. He spoke fondly of his parents and his sister, and she envied the completeness that existed for him because of it. 

“When did your father pass?” he asked her one rainy afternoon while they were on the topic of family. 

“I was twelve,” she said. “He was in a car accident, and badly injured. To our misfortune, he couldn’t recover.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “And it was just you and your mom after that?”

She nodded. “My father’s inheritance was enough that Mother didn’t have to work, but I think it was almost worse because she didn’t have anything to occupy her mind. She changed so much, and suddenly trivial things were more important to her than things I thought mattered.”

“Trivial things?”

“Like being a lady and getting me married and such,” she explained. 

“It makes some sense,” he said. “There’s a certain amount of security that comes with that.”

“Yes, but the reason I wanted some independence was because I felt like that security wasn’t really here,” she said. “I mean, look what happened to us. If we weren’t lucky to get the money my father saved, life would have looked very different.”

“That’s true,” he agreed. “But in fairness to your mother, what are the odds of an accident like that happening twice in one family?”

They both chuckled.

“Fair,” she said. “And I might agree more if it weren’t for the war. I’ve got friends whose husbands have already gone to the Pacific and...well, you know.”

“I do,” he said solemnly. “But also in defense of your mother, you are all she has left, and if I were her, I’d want to protect you.” 

If he were being honest, he felt a desire to protect her that was entirely un-motherly. He was quite drawn to her and the sense of peace she gave him. When he was with her, he didn’t think about Sobel or the war or anything else. Plus, he genuinely liked her. If he didn’t have a thousand other things to worry about, he knew he’d take a closer look at those feelings, but for now, he was enjoying being her friend.

“I never thought of it that way,” she said, looking out at the rain. “I suppose I’ve been rather unfair to her, haven’t I?”

“She’s been unfair to you, too,” he said. “I mean, you’re doing something that really scares you, and she’s giving you the silent treatment now when you need her the most.”

“Just whose side are you on here?” she teased. 

He smiled and shrugged. “Neither side, really. I’m saying you’re both right.”

“How very diplomatic of you,” she remarked. At this point, she was eager to change the subject, so she did. “But I suppose with a man like Sobel around, you have to be.”

Dick rolled his eyes and groaned. She giggled. 

“No improvement, then?” she asked. 

“No, but I hardly expected there to be,” he said. “The man is….well, he is who he is. We’ve got to work with him as best we can.”

“Would you like me to speak to Colonel Sink?” she offered. “Maybe I could -”

“That might make everything worse,” he said. “I appreciate the thought, but Sobel has been successful in training the unit. We can’t dispute his effectiveness.”

“Dick, he’s been downright cruel,” she insisted. He’d told her the stories, and it upset her. “There’s training and then there’s punishment for the sake of his ego.”

He shook his head. “There’s really nothing we can do, Melanie.”

She opened her mouth to argue again, but then Sink drove up in a jeep. 

“Dick, we need you!” he called. 

She checked her watch. “It is getting late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I hardly noticed how much time passed,” he said. “I’ll see you around, Melanie.”

He clapped her on the shoulder, put on his cover, and jogged over to join Sink. They drove off just as he waved one last time to her. She waved back and watched him until the truck disappeared around the corner. She sighed as the rush of the sadness of missing him came over her, as it always did whenever he left her side. 

*******

Later that night, while Easy Company was doing one of their night marches, Melanie went for a walk. She found herself unable to sleep the longer she dwelled on her blossoming feelings for Dick Winters. She knew she liked him, but she liked almost everyone in Easy Company. They were generally the most respectful, and that George Luz never failed to make her laugh. But it was different with Dick. Around him, she didn’t even feel like there was a war going on. 

She rounded a corner toward the edge of the camp, and was startled by a figure in the shadows. It was a man, alone, and stumbling toward her. 

“Hello?” she called out. “Are you alright?”

He stepped into the moonlight, and she recognized him as a corporal who worked directly under Colonel Sink. She couldn’t recall his name, since she didn’t spend too much time at the office, and he was standing too far for her to read his name tag. 

“Well,” he replied, slurring over his words. “If it isn’t the pretty nurse.”

She stepped back, unnerved by his drunkenness. She had no idea where he even got alcohol on the grounds. 

“Corporal, I think we need to get you some coffee,” she said.

“Nah,” he returned. “Coffee’s not really what I’m craving right now.”

With that, he lumbered quickly toward her and tackled her into the dirt. She screamed.


End file.
